Method and device for measuring the heating value of fuels.



H. JUNKBRS. METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE HEATING VALUE OF FUELS.

APPLIOATION FILED o01'.15,191s 1 13,915@ P en ed July 14,1914

' 2 smms smm 1.

H. JUN'K'ERS.

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE HEATING VALUE OF FUELS.

APPLICATION TILED OUT. 16,1913.

. Patented July 14,1m I

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

ma ma Jnuenior HUGH) JUNKERS, 0F AKK-Kmh-GHAPELLE, @ELt't-MANY.

METHGD. AND DEVICE FOR MEASURING- THE HEATING VALUE OF FUELS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July TM, iota,

Application alert eetooer all, will. Serial No. Witt w.

21/625 urfiomwzfimag concern: 1 l l-le it known that I, EllTGO Juunnas, a cit-lzen of the German Empire, residing at l lo. (32: Bismarckstrasse, Aix-la-Chapelle, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Empire oi Ger-- many, have invented a new and useful Method and Device for Measuring the Heating Value of Fuels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malge and use the same.

This inverltion relates to an improved method and devic s for measuring the heating value of fuels.

l'litherto'thc calorimetry of fuels, especially the determination of the heating value of solid fuels and many liquid fuels, has been attended with great difiiculty, and results of sulticient accuracy have been obtainable only by the employment of the greatest care. if, for example coal be burned in a flow calorimeter, in which the heat of combustion is transmitted to a con tinuous flow of Water, the heating value being ascertained from the dili'erence in ternperature of the water entering and leaving the apparatus, it is hardly possible-in view of the peculiar combustion process of coal, in which the volatile constituents are consumed first, and then the residual solid constituen'tsto maintain uniform disengagement of heat and thus attain the requisite state of equilibriu. lhe same disability is also met with in the combustion or" many liquid fuels, for example the so-ealled heavy oils, in which also it is hardly possible to obtain uniform combustion of the volatile and heavy constituents. The calorimetric examination of fuelsxinthe so-called bomb apparatus on the other hand preexnts the drawback that the work is very troublesome and that, in spite of. this, suitable results can only he ohtaiiled when the requisite cor rections are made with the most delicate means available to the pliysu'zist and chemist and. are taken into account in making the calculations. Consequently the use ot the bomb apparatus is restricted to laboratories possessing scientifically trained stall.

' The subject the present invention is a method for measuring the heating value of fuels, and a. c: lorimeter for carrying out this method, which enables the calorific value of fuels inuuaterial wl'scthor solid, liquid or gaseous bodies are in question-to be determined with sullieient accuracy in such a simple manner that the apparatus can be operated by any intelligent workman. The

economic advantages of this possibility so self evident.

The method consists in using a calorimetric vessel filled with a'definitc quantity of" j liquid and allowing the hot gases given off during the combustion of the fuel. to flow past heating surfaces Which transmit the heat of the ases completely to the liquid contained in the calorimeter. The measure ment of the heat, which when divided by the Weight of fuel consumed gives the heating-7o value'sought, is performed by means of a special measuring device which is attached to/the calorimeter and measures the increase in volume sustained by the liquid in conse quence of the heating of same. In order that this increase in volume may hear a constant ratio to the amount of heat taken up by the liquid, which ratio, used as a multiplier, gives this amount of heat, use is preferably made of such a liquid as possesses aeoefiicient of expansion which is independent of the temperature and remains constant Within the limits of temperature coming under consideration. Unless this be the case the increase in volume can only stand in a definite ratio to the amount of heat absorbed provided all parts of the liquid are at exactly the same temperature. The attainment of this condition must be attempted by means of a.

stirring device, kept in operation during the so experiment, but complicates the work and is unreliable, especially in the larger forms of the apparatus. If on. the other hand, notwithstandingdiflerent increases in temperature, the particles of the liquid expancl ruii'formly in relation to the increase in temperature, the total expansion is just as great as tl'iough all. the particles were at exactly the same temperature, stirring being in such case unnecessary. According to the researches of'the applicant, petroleum ploymeut of a stirring device necessary.

In the present method the determination of the heating value is performed in an ex- ()n the 05 trcmely simple-manner by reading off the height of the liquid in the mcasurin tube of the calorimeter before and after t e experiment, multiplying the 'difierence by a constant and dividing the product by the amount of fuel consumed. T he only correction needed in any event would be for the exchange of heat with the environment, and

this could be determined in a very simple manner, but it has been found that this correction may be neglected if the quantity of liquid contained in the apparatus is so large in relation to the amount of fuel consumed that the liquid is only slightly heated by the combustion.

in order to keep the difi erence in temperature between the liquid and the room as small as possible the liquid can be adjusted to a desired temperature before each experiment, by means of a s ecialdevice, when it is not desiredto wait tor the very long time necessary, in the case of well insulated apparatus, for the temperature to equalize naturally.

The accompanying drawing illustrates two examples of a device for carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the middle of the device. Fig. 2' represents a section on line A. B in Fig. 1.

vices which insure complete transmission of the generated heat to the measuring liquid. In the example shown, the heat is taken up from the gases b, gills arranged in the heating passage d and is given off to the measuring liquid mainly through gills f projecting into thatnliquid. A more active circulation of the liquid, and therefore an improved transmission of heat to the same are obtained by means of the'ja'cketg which surrounds the '11s. A. glass tube It fitted with a scale an mounted on the top of the apparatus, is provided for measuring the increase in the volume of the measuring liquid in the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 1

and 2. Special heat exchanging devices are provided for adjusting the initial temperature of the measuring liquid. The example shown is provided, for this purpose, with a coiled tube 2' terminating in connections Z- and Z through which tube acooling or heating medium is passed as required. The

actual calorimeter vessel a is surrounded by an insulating jacket m to prevent radiation of heat.

Figs. 3 and 4c of the drawing illustrate another form of the apparatus. In this modification another arrangement is adopted for transmitting the heat of the gases of combustion to the measuring liquid. Here the exchange of heat is effected by heating tubes t communicating with the co'mbustion passage 6 and surrounded by the measuring liquid. The gases of combustion passing from above downward through these heat ing tubes, give up the whole of their heat to the measuring liquid surrounding the tubes .15. F or measuring the expansion of the liquid, this apparatus is provided with" an elastic membrane 72 the movement of which is transmitted, by means of the pinion gear q, to the pointer 1-, the position of which can be read oil on the scale-s. In place of the ascending tube shown in Fig. 1, the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 is provided with a cock 0 which is closed when the apparatus has been filled, and prevents air from cut-en ing and the. liquid from escaping.

Bil

The calorimeters must, in all cases, be I made in such a way that no air bubbles, which would impair the accuracy of the re sults, can adhere in any part of the chamber containing the liquid. This result can be attained for example by the conical or domed shape given to the top of the measurv ing vessel in the examples shown.

One and the same apparatus may be used for the calorimctric examination of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, all that is necessary being to provide a burner suitable for the kind of fuel to be examined in each case.

Having now particularly described and whose lower portion is shaped as a hollow casing forming a combustion chamber which is open on its under side and heat transfeb ring devices fitted in the combustion chamber for the purpose (it-taking up the heat liberated by the combustion of fuels and transmitting it to a liquid, for example petroleum, which fills the said vessel "and whose coefficient of expansion is as nearly as possible constant within the range of temperatures' used and a measuring device for determining the expansion of the said liquid.

2. A calorimeter for determining the heating value of fuels, consisting of a vessel whose lower portion is shaped as a hollow casing forming a combustion chamber which is open on its under side and heat transferring devices fitted in the combustion chamher for the purpose of taking up the heat liberated by the combustion. of fuels and ice transmitting it to a liquid, for example petroleinn, which fills the said vessel and whose coctlieicnt of expansion as nearly as possi-' ble constant within the-range of temperatures used and a measuring device for determining the expansion of the said'liq'uid and having a circulation jacket fol-facililating the circulation and niixtureot' the measuring liquid.

53. A. calorin'ietcr for determining the heating value of fuels, cons ;1 whose lower portion is shaped as a hollow casing fol'lniiig a combustion chamber which is open on its under side and heat-tr:.nisfer-- ring devices fitted in the coinliustio-n chanr' her for the 'uirp'ose of taking up the heat liberated by the combustion of fuels and transmitting it to a liquid. for exan'iple pe' troleuin, which fills the aid vessel and whose coeflicirnt of expansion is as nearly as possible constant within the range of temperatures used and a measuring device for determining the expansion of the said liquid and havinga heat-transferrino; device, for example a coiled tube, suitable for passing a liquid through, for the purpose of adjusting jug of a vessel the initial temperature of the measuring liquid.

4. A calorimeter for determining the heating value of fuels, consisting of a vessel whose lower portion shaped as a hollow casing forming a combustion chamber which is open on its under side and heat-transferring devices fitted in the eonil'iustioi'i chum: her for the purpose of taking up the heat; liberated by the combustion-of fuels and transmitting it to a liquid, for example petl'ulclllll,-\\'l'll(2l1 [ills the-said vessel and whose cwllicient of expansion. is as nearly as possible constant within e range of temperatures uscdand ameasuring device for determining the expansion of the said liquidin which all the parts which come in contact with the measuring liquid are shaped in such a way as to prevent the adhesion. of air. lntestiniouy thereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

' HUGO J UNKERS.

\Vitnesses LUDWIG WAGENBEIL, ALFRED LILLEY. 

